Part 3 (2/2)

”Trust in God, But Tie Your Camel!”

Do you believe in portents? I do Whenever in the East the first two statements that a man has made in my presence, and that I have a chance to test, prove accurate, I go ahead and bet on all the rest I don't mean by that that because a man has told the truth twice he won't lie on the third and fourth occasion; for the East is like the West in that respect, and usually seeks to turn its virtue into capital But in a land where, as old King Solomon, who knew his crowd, remarked, ”All men are liars,” you uide your national optio

Ali Baba had said there was a bad stink in the caerated in the least

And he had said that they were good camels; it was true You did not need to be a caed Syrian beasts for winners They looked like the first pick of a whole country-side, as he , representing an investment at after-war prices of the equivalent of five or six thousand US dollars

”Who has been looted to pay for these?” asked Grim

”Allah! You have put an end to our proper business, Jiht these ca to take a hand in the caravan trade”

Grihed

”In the land I come from,” he said, ”a capitalist with your predatory instincts would pay a lawyer by the year to tell hio!”

”A _wakil?”_ sneered Ali Baba ”The _wakils_ are all scoundrels

May Allah grind their bones! No honest e of such people”

Gri that any one could teach that gang about desert work The goat-skin water-bags were newly patched and ood shape, none new, but all well-tested; and there was food enough in double sacks for twenty iant oldest son, picked up the loads and turned them over for Grim to exa pillows

Presently Griain, and looked at the line of fifteen other sons and grandsons, all squatting in the shadow of the atching us

”Which is the chief Lothario?” he asked; only he used a much more expressive word than that, because the East is frank where the West deals in innuendo, and vice versa

”They are all grown men,” said Ali Baba ”There's a woman named Ayisha--a Badawi (Bedouin)--who has lately come from El-Maan with a caravan of wheat ris in the _suk_ that no Badawi could have use for, and has sent to Jerusaleoods that could not be obtained here I want to speak with her Has any of your”--he sain--”fathers of immorality made her acquaintance by some chance?” [ Bazaar]

Every one of the sixteen sons instantly assumed an expression of far-away meditation Ali Baba looked shocked

”I see!” said Grio fetch her to the governorate You may tell her she's not in trouble, but an officer wants first-hand infor a woh the streets?”

asked Ali Baba

”Let's hope not But I don't care to send the police I don't want to put her to indignity, you understand Suppose you arrange it for e one! Men have spoken evil of her, but none can prove it I have heard it said she has a devil `Trust in God, but tie your ca wise men would be he who let that woman alone!”

------------The Moslems attribute all their favorite proverbs to the Koran, whether they are in the book or, as in this case, not